The Heat also have retained forward Chris Bosh, reached a deal with free-agent forward Luol Deng and signed forwards Josh McRoberts and Danny Granger to contracts. They also plan to re-sign guard Mario Chalmers and forward-center Chris Andersen, and Udonis Haslem is another player Miami is trying to keep.

This could be the Heat's starting lineup: Chalmers, Wade, Deng, McRoberts and Bosh. Andersen, Granger and Norris Cole could be reserves. With that, Miami likely is still a playoff team and could be one of the top four teams in the Eastern Conference.

With James gone, there will be more responsibility on Wade to contribute on both ends of the floor. Miami might not be able give Wade the same number of games off as last season, when he played in 54. Monitoring Wade's minutes while getting maximum production will be coach Erik Spoelstra's challenge.

After a run of four consecutive NBA Finals berths that produced two titles, Wade was disappointed James left for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but he understood.

"LeBron made the right decision for himself and his family because home is where your heart is," he said in a statement.

By re-signing with the Heat, Wade showed that his home and heart are in Miami. Having spent each of his 11 NBA seasons with the Heat, he might end up as one of the few players of his generation to spend an entire career with one team.

Wade posted a photo on Instagram of himself in a Heat warmup suit during the national anthem and wrote "Home is where the heart is. My Home, My City, My House. .. #HeatLifer."

Wade showed in 2010 what winning in Miami meant to him when he gave up money to make sure James and Bosh could join the team. He sacrificed again in this deal, leaving significant money on the table so the Heat could re-tool. He had two years and $42million remaining on his contract but opted out when free agency began.

Terms of the new deal were not released, but The Associated Press reported it is for two years, which would allow Wade to have potentially higher paydays after the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. It also gives the Heat some financial flexibility.

"Dwyane has been the franchise cornerstone for this team since the day he arrived 11 years ago," Heat President Pat Riley said in a statement. "He has shown his commitment to the Heat many times over the course of his career and has always been willing to sacrifice in order to help build this team into a champion. This time is no different."